Chapter 63 The Mirage Robbery: Recognizing an Old Friend Feng Xi was somewhat surprised: "..."

Feng Xi was somewhat surprised: "Good thing they came. They really dare to come."

Shan Qiao is the royal surname of Hai Shi. No one in Hai Shi may leave before adulthood; to do so is certain death. Even adults cannot linger outside. A prince of Hai Shi, long exiled, has come seeking us now; the reasons behind this are truly intriguing.

Feng Xi said, "Since such an honored guest has come to our door, how can we not welcome him? I must treat him well."

For some reason, Yan Chao had an inexplicable feeling for Shan Qiaoying, especially after hearing that people from Haishi wanted to take him away, which made her angry. She thought that perhaps she and he were kindred spirits; she quite liked the child, and she needed to see what was going on.

Yan Chao looked at Feng Xi and said, "Are you going back to Wangsheng City now? I want to go with you."

Feng Xi seemed surprised by Yan Chao's words, and gave a meaningful laugh, saying, "If you go, he will be very happy."

Yan Chao didn't think too much about it and just said, "Yes, I still remember that A Ying wanted to treat me to berry yogurt from Banxianfang."

Upon hearing this, Yao Xu shook his head and laughed, "Since it's A Ying's business, then we two won't get involved. Although I'd love to join in the fun, I'm afraid I might say something inappropriate and ruin the plan. It's better for me to go back and check on Yicuo Mao and Niu."

Yan Chao asked, "Besides donkeys, you also raise cattle. What's the name of those cattle?"

Mi Qing said, "Let's call it Niu (牛). Because it's a cow, that's why it's called Niu."

"......"

Yao Xu raised an eyebrow and said smugly, "How about it? Isn't it both fitting and pleasant to listen to?"

Yan Chao awkwardly curved his lips and said, "It's good, it's good."

Yao Xu immediately extended an invitation: "Now that the weather is warmer, after you're done with this, bring A Ying along to my place!"

Mi Qing said, "Although he seems unreliable, his place is actually quite good."

Feng Xi rarely agreed, saying, "His scenery is not bad."

"Okay!" Yan Chao became more and more curious and looking forward to it, and readily agreed.

Yan Chao and Feng Xi returned to Wangsheng City together, where the ghost messengers had already settled the people from Haishi. However, they were neither at Feng Xi's Qianshuique nor Yin Chi's Banxianfang, but at the Yellow Ox Demon's small general store. There was a large kang (heated brick bed) upstairs, which was just enough for the seven of them to squeeze in.

Upon seeing them for the first time, Yan Chao couldn't help but laugh out loud, saying, "Looks like we're in luck today; we can see a rainbow even though it's not raining."

Yan Chao considered herself a fairly well-mannered person. She knew very little about Haishi before. Although Shan Qiaoying was from Haishi, perhaps it was a matter of local customs; while his appearance was strange, he wasn't significantly different from the locals. But these seven people were different. They were genuine Haishi residents, and she was shocked upon first seeing them. Their appearances were so striking and peculiar, and coupled with her bias towards Shan Qiaoying, she felt deep down that these people had ill intentions. Moreover, each of their faces was a different color, perfectly matching the colors of a rainbow—it was indeed a rainbow!

Upon hearing this, the seven people displayed a variety of expressions. One of them said displeasedly, "Is this how you ghosts treat your guests?" This person was clad in heavy bronze armor, his entire face was crimson, and his skin was covered in cracks, from which a dark golden light emanated. In the center was a huge, flame-shaped living pattern. This person was none other than the High Priest of the Sea City—Chi Zhu.

Feng Xi ignored them, walked straight past them, and sat down in the middle chair, gesturing for Yan Chao to come and sit as well. The Yellow Ox Demon, seeing the two approach, diligently poured them tea, completely ignoring the seven others.

Upon seeing this, one of them immediately overturned the table and shouted, "What do you mean!" This person was the guard Yu Zhu.

Feng Xi ignored him, leisurely took a sip of tea, looked at the Yellow Ox Demon, and said, "Your tea is quite good."

The ox spirit mooed and said with a chuckle, "I'm glad you like it."

Yu Zhu's patience had long since run out after Feng Xi ignored them twice. Staring at the cold mask on Feng Xi's face, he couldn't help but sneer, "Hey! That Ghost King! Wearing that piece of tin covering your face all day, are you too ugly to show your face? In our Hai City, only the most spineless cowards hide their faces! Look at you guys!" He slapped his bruised face forcefully, then pointed to his companions of various colors beside him, his face radiating an arrogant "this is beauty" aura. "This is what you call daring to show your true face! Underneath your mask, isn't it just a mud-covered ghost face?"

Feng Xi wasn't angry. He didn't even look directly at Yu Zhu, but merely raised his head slightly, his icy gaze piercing through the eye holes of his mask like ice. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out all the noise, carrying a hint of condescending indifference and barely perceptible mockery: "Ugly?"

"In your eyes, mud is nectar and decay is fragrance. Your faces are painted like shrouds from an overturned dye vat, yet you dare to discuss beauty and ugliness?"

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips lightly brushing the edge of the mask, and said, "This mask does not conceal my face, but guards all spirits of the ghost realm. What you see as 'ugly' is merely the fear of the ignorant upon witnessing divine might, which they force upon themselves to call 'terrifying.'" Having said that, his gaze suddenly locked onto Yu Zhu, and he said coldly, "As for you... if you are truly curious about what lies beneath this mask, I may remove it for a moment. However..." He paused deliberately, leaning forward slightly, "...those who see my true face must offer their souls to be scattered as a sacrifice. Can you bear that?"

Yu Zhu was struck by his string of words, his purplish face instantly turning black. He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but was silenced by the man's words. He subconsciously took half a step back, but dared not look him in the eye again.

Seeing that the situation had reached a stalemate, another person stepped forward, bowed to Feng Xi, and said, "I am Elder Fei, the elder of Hai City. Yu Zhu has spoken rudely, and we hope that Lord Ghost King will not take offense. We do not intend to clash with you, but only to find our Hai City prince who has been lost elsewhere."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a voice rang out from outside the door: "I won't go back with you!"

It is Shan Qiaoying.

Upon seeing Shan Qiaoying, the seven people bowed in unison and said, "Your Highness, please come back with us!"

Shan Qiaoying said, "From the day I was abandoned, I was no longer a Haishi person!"

Fei Lao said, "But you know your name is Shan Qiaoying."

From the moment of their birth, the names and identities of the people in the city are deeply imprinted in their minds, to be remembered forever until the moment of their death.

Feng Xi sneered, his sharp gaze sweeping over the seven people. He said, "I've been raising him since he was a baby in swaddling clothes, only able to cry. And you only thought of looking for him after all these years? Judging by the lifespan in your Hai City, this 'search for relatives' journey must be slower than a mortal crawling, right? Wouldn't it be easier to wait until his bones turn to ashes? Oh, I forgot, he's standing here alive and well now, which makes you all seem exceptionally 'trustworthy.' It's a pity, I snatched his life back from the brink of death year after year. Your belated 'gratitude' probably can't even catch up with the echo of his cries as a baby!"

Chi Zhu shouted, "Shut up! Stop distorting the truth! His Highness's bloodline is noble, we..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shan Qiaoying abruptly interrupted Chi Zhu. Like a small beast that had been thoroughly enraged, he pointed at Chi Zhu's nose and roared, "You're the one who needs to shut up!"

"Bloodline?! Nobility?!"

"A bloodline that left me to die in the mud?! Or a noble one who almost froze me to death?!"

"My name is Adele!!!"

"My name is Adele! Not Shan Qiaoying! Do you understand?!"

When Shan Qiaoying shouted the name "Ade," Yan Chao, who had been silent until now, jolted violently. A clear image instantly flashed through her mind: a small, cold body covered in mud, so weak that she could barely feel his breath. She held him tightly in her arms and whispered comfortingly, "Don't be afraid, I will save you."

"So you weren't dark because you got mud on you, you were naturally dark-skinned. From now on, I'll call you Adele, okay?"

"Adele, Adele..."

She stared blankly at the angry yet stubborn boy in front of her, the boy who called her "Alu" and made her feel inexplicably close to him, the baby she had rescued from the mud!

Yan Chao stood up, subconsciously took a step forward, looked at Shan Qiaoying with shock in his eyes, and said in disbelief, "Adele?"

Shan Qiaoying suddenly turned to look at her, her anger instantly replaced by overwhelming joy, and her voice trembled with tears: "Ah, Alu? You remember everything?"

Feng Xi looked at the scene before him, feeling both gratified and guilty. He looked at Yan Chao, but couldn't utter a single word.

Chi Zhu was completely dumbfounded! This prince not only refused to acknowledge his ancestors, but also publicly rejected the identity bestowed upon him by Hai Shi! He pointed at Shan Qiaoying and angrily said, "Your Highness! You cannot be blinded by these worldly sentiments! You are Shan Qiaoying, you are..."

Yan Chao said, "How dare you!" She shielded Shan Qiaoying behind her, "I will not let you take him away. Don't forget, you are in the Ghost Realm now. Let alone taking him away, you will probably not be able to protect yourselves."

Chi Zhu remained silent, and the others dared not speak further. They knew Yan Chao was right; bringing Shan Qiaoying back required careful consideration. Fei Lao said, "In that case, we would like to see the place where His Highness has lived since childhood. Would you be so kind as to grant us this favor?"

Feng Xi said, "Do as you please." He beckoned two ghost messengers, "You two will be in charge of leading the way. Be sure to treat our distinguished guests from afar well." After saying that, the three of them left together without even glancing back.

The ghost messenger acknowledged the order: "Yes." He then looked at the seven people and said calmly, "Please, everyone."

The three of them arrived on the street. Shan Qiaoying held Yan Chao's hand tightly, constantly recounting his experiences over the years, as if she wanted to recount all the stories of the past few centuries in one go. Fortunately, the street was long, and they had plenty of time.

Passing through Banxianfang, Shan Qiaoying specially bought a berry yogurt and excitedly handed it to Yan Chao, saying, "The berry yogurt I promised Alu!"

Yan Chao glanced at the berry cheese, then at Shan Qiaoying, and suddenly felt like crying, but she held it back: "Thank you, Adele."

The three returned to Qianshuique, and Shan Qiaoying suddenly said, "On the way here, I made a decision."

Feng Xi asked, "What?"

Shan Qiaoying said, "I want to go back to Haishi."

Upon hearing this, the two were somewhat surprised, but they waited for him to continue.

“I know they won’t give up so easily. Instead of waiting around, we should take the initiative. I also want to know the truth about why I was abandoned. This time, I’m going to settle this once and for all!”

Feng Xi asked, "Have you thought it through?"

Shan Qiaoying firmly replied, "Yes."

Feng Xi chuckled, patted his head, and said, "Then we'll go with you."

Yan Chao said, "Yes, let's go together."

Shan Qiaoying hugged them excitedly and said, "Thank you! Thank you! I'll go back and prepare now."

Watching Shan Qiaoying's departing figure, Yan Chao felt a myriad of thoughts rising in his heart, which finally turned into the sentence, "She made the right decision to come this time."

There were only the two of them in Qianshuique. Yan Chao recalled the scene of Feng Xi confronting the seven people just now and couldn't help but tease, "The Ghost King's aura just now was really scary. It made me so afraid."

Feng Xi laughed and said, "Really? I'm still a bit inferior to Chaochao. She managed to fool all those guys with just one sentence."

Before he could finish speaking, a pair of hands suddenly embraced him.

Feng Xi stood frozen in place, not knowing what to do, only feeling those hands holding her tighter and tighter.

After a long pause, Yan Chao said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, I broke my promise. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."